OFAC issues GL and FAQ regarding Russian transactions

Financial Crimes Of Interest to Non-US Persons Department of Treasury OFAC Russia OFAC Sanctions OFAC Designations

On November 10, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the issuance of Russia-related General License (GL) 53 and related FAQ. GL 53 authorizes transactions for diplomatic missions of the Russian Federation prohibited by Directive 4 under Executive Order 14024, under certain circumstances. FAQ 1096 clarifies GL 53, noting that the authorizations in GL 53 apply to transactions related to Russian missions located in or outside the U.S. The FAQ also explains that “GL 53 does not authorize any transactions involving blocked persons, including blocked Russian financial institutions; nor does it authorize debits to the accounts on the books of U.S. financial institutions of entities subject to Directive 4.”